Thursday, January 27, 2011

Man, Charles Schulz sure nailed it with Charlie Brown and Lucy and the football.

Some things we will just keep falling for over and over and over, because they rest too deep down in our nature for us to stop them.

One of those things is controversy. I mean, we go for it every single time. I don't even have to name anybody. Say something controversial about parenting, or about the president, live a controversial lifestyle, be a controversial family, write a controversial book or give a controversial talk, say on a radio station. On the AM dial. For example.

Thing is, controversy = attention = advertising = money.

It's that simple. Controversy is a business model, people. Nothing more than that. If you can attract attention, you can make a living.

I know I know, I just wrote about this. But when you are letting out your Creative Beast, it's important to really know what you are doing because you want to, versus what you are doing, well, because your lizard brain fell for it again.

Escaping those automatic responses is really important to creativity. This is why people who change their perspective come up with new ideas. It's why our brain thinks best when things are quiet, like in the bathroom.

If you are just paying attention to things because they attract a lot of attention, you are helping along the controversy business model.

YOU are the product, not what's on the screen or in the speakers. YOU are being sold to the advertisers. All the media are doing is serving up another football for you to run at.

And, your Creative Beast is heaving a heavy sigh.

So free your mind. Turn off the yelling voices and the people who will basically say and do anything to get attention. Don't tweet about them, don't give your own opinion - that's running at the football. And it does nothing for your Creative Beast.

Here's something really controversial: Your own creative voice. It's like no one else's. Your attention is your own, it is your power, and when you take it back, your Creative Beast thrives.